protagoras   

elements in the interior of the earth; and when they were about to

bring them into the light of day, they ordered Prometheus and

Epimetheus to equip them, and to distribute to them severally their

proper qualities. Epimetheus said to Prometheus: "Let me distribute,

and do you inspect." This was agreed, and Epimetheus made the

distribution. There were some to whom he gave strength without

swiftness, while he equipped the weaker with swiftness; some he armed,

and others he left unarmed; and devised for the latter some other

means of preservation, making some large, and having their size as a

protection, and others small, whose nature was to fly in the air or

burrow in the ground; this was to be their way of escape. Thus did

he compensate them with the view of preventing any race from

becoming extinct. And when he had provided against their destruction

by one another, he contrived also a means of protecting them against

the seasons of heaven; clothing them with close hair and thick skins

sufficient to defend them against the winter cold and able to resist

the summer heat, so that they might have a natural bed of their own

when they wanted to rest; also he furnished them with hoofs and hair

and hard and callous skins under their feet. Then he gave them

varieties of food-herb of the soil to some, to others fruits of trees,

and to others roots, and to some again he gave other animals as

food. And some he made to have few young ones, while those who were

their prey were very prolific; and in this manner the race was

preserved. Thus did Epimetheus, who, not being very wise, forgot

that he had distributed among the brute animals all the qualities

which he had to give-and when he came to man, who was still

unprovided, he was terribly perplexed. Now while he was in this

perplexity, Prometheus came to inspect the distribution, and he

found that the other animals were suitably furnished, but that man

alone was naked and shoeless, and had neither bed nor arms of defence.

The appointed hour was approaching when man in his turn was to go

forth into the light of day; and Prometheus, not knowing how he